If practing catch and release, the last thing you want to do is remove slime because it protects the fish from infections among other things. Handle them as little as possible with bare wet hands. Wipe your hands off with a rag after ya release the fish...................

I always feel so bad for the fish when they come aboard all slimy and stinky. So I keep a few dry terrycloth towels on board. I make sure to thoroughly wipe down each fish. Big fish sometimes take two or even three towels, but I really think it is worth putting the effort in. I can just tell that the fish are happier when I release them. I mean, really, would you want to be covered with slime and stink like a fish all day? As a side note, over the years I think I have really perfected the proper technique for effective cleaning. When I was younger and more foolish, I tried to rush through each job, so I used one towel in each hand and did my best to mimic Mr. Miyagi's "wax on, wax off" advice. Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize that I was cutting corners trying to rush through the job. Take your time, start at the mouth and move your way to the tail, making sure to rub everywhere well. Don't be afraid to spend a little extra time on the eyeballs. And don't forget to poke around in the gills some too...sometimes there are bugs in there that you really need to get out. If you're taking less than 5 minutes to de-slime a fish in the 45"-50" range, you are really doing it a disservice.

I usually grab some 80 grit and rub the fish down pretty well.. All the slime is nicely removed and best of all, it also removes the scales at the same time. But if its a small fish, I'll throw it in my brass tumbler for about 15 minutes or so..

But seriously if your doing catch & release, just go with a boga grip or similar to reduce contact.